The Pope-Signed Huracán: How a Vatican-Themed Lamborghini Became the Ultimate Collector's Artifact
Pope Francis blessed and signed a one-off Huracán RWD at the Vatican, then sent it to auction for charity — rewriting the rules of collector-car value.
On November 15, 2017, at the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican, Pope Francis blessed and personally signed the hood of a Lamborghini Huracán RWD finished in Bianco Monocerus white with Giallo Tiberino gold stripes mirroring the Vatican City flag.
The Huracán RWD as purist platform
The Huracán RWD was Lamborghini's purist offering at the time, pairing V10 power with a lighter curb weight than the all-wheel-drive model and a driving character enthusiasts praised for its engagement and accessibility.
The signing at the Vatican
Pope Francis declined to keep the supercar and directed that it be auctioned by RM Sotheby's, with all proceeds going to four humanitarian causes he personally selected, including reconstruction on the Nineveh Plain in Iraq and aid for trafficking victims and underserved communities.
The pope premium at auction
A Harley-Davidson gifted to Pope Francis in 2013 sold for approximately $327,000, and a Fiat 500L he used during a 2015 Philadelphia visit fetched $82,000, signaling that his association could dramatically multiply a vehicle's value.
A cultural moment beyond the automotive press
A sitting pope blessing and signing a supercar generated global media coverage that transcended the automotive press entirely, positioning Lamborghini as a brand whose products could serve as instruments of genuine humanitarian impact.
Narrative over engineering specs
The Vatican Huracán became a case study in how narrative, symbolism, and moral purpose can multiply value in ways that no engineering specification sheet ever could.
Bianco Monocerus and Giallo Tiberino
Bianco Monocerus, a deep luminous white, served as the primary finish, while Giallo Tiberino, a warm yellow-gold, ran in stripes along the flanks — a pairing that directly referenced the gold and white of the Vatican City flag.
Heritage lineup at Sant'Agata Bolognese
Lamborghini produces special editions regularly, from the ten-unit Huracán STJ to the 60th-anniversary Opera Unica Sterrato, and each commands a premium — but none carry a papal autograph on the hood.
A category of one
The hammer fell at RM Sotheby's in Monaco on May 12, 2018, at 809,000 euros — roughly four to five times the Huracán RWD's base price of around 183,000 euros — proving that provenance from a globally recognized figure creates a category of value no standard limited edition can replicate.